The Diamond Boiz made it on to the Westword Showcase ballot this and are campaigning hard for people's votes. So much so that they quickly finished their mixtape project, Calm Before the Storm, in order to get people familiar with their sounds. The release features a mix of original songs and remixes of well-known songs along with appearances from FOE (of Jewell Tyme Entertainment) and A.V.I.U.S. (of 3 the Hardway) and it's all free!

Not to be outdone, the Kintenders crew, which is headed by former radio personality Lenny Lenn, are offering up their third compilation, Kin 3, for free download as well. The project contains cameos by Q.Burse, L-Dot, Julox, Shawanna, Surgon and other up and coming Colorado hip-hop artists. Get a taste of both projects and the download links after the jump: